Shoe sewing machine



SHOE SEWING MACHINE Filed Sept. 11, 1942 i Fi 5 I Inventor y /l WW Witness 2 1 Patented Aug. 17, 1943 UNITE o STATES rarest 10 Fri ca I i V V 2,327,14 J v I l t t SHOE SEWING MACHINE Raymond W; Watts, Cape Girardeau lvl'm, as,-

' signer to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemingto'n, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application September 11, 1942, Serial N 0. 457,999

.4 Claims. 01. 112-252) The present invention-relates to improvements in shoe sewing machines, and more particularly to an improved construction and arrangement of the' thread handling devicein a wax thread general type illustrated in'the patent to 'Eppler,

No. 1,108,560, of which thethread handling devices include a curved hooked needle, a take,- up operative to pull in the previous stitch against the-shank of the needle, and to draw 01f thread from the supply, a needle threading looper and a thread finger which cooperates with the looper to supply slack thread to the work side of the at the beginning of theseam to avoid a possible pulling out of the 'initial stitch or stitches in the event that the thread'is prematurely'dislodgedv from the'clamp. 1

It is a principal object of the invention to provide in a-machine of the class described, a noveland improved construction and arrangement of a thread holding and severing device which will permit a simpler motion to be im-, parted tothe shoe when released from the machine to engage the thread in the clamp, and further is constructed and arranged with-respect to the thread handling devices to cause any extremely short end to he left standing-above the workat the start of, a seam with a consequent substantial saving in the amount of threadreneedle loop duringthe loop; drawing stroke of the needle. Machines of this description may be-providedalso with a thread cutting and holding device such as that illustratedfor example in the patent to -Seeley, No. 1,324,985, to sever andto hold the severed endpf thelthread'. In machines of the general type described, the 7 thread clamping and severing device is mounted in an exposed, readily-accessible position on the sewing head for the convenience of the operator, whois expected in removing the shoe-from the machine to catch on the clamp and to sever the thread from the shoe. Such devices'of the prior art are normally mounted on the upper part of the sewing head, either ona fixed part of the machine or on the looper; and are so far removed from the sewing pointthat a considerable length of thread is left standing above the work at the beginning of each successive seam.

Where clamps of this type have been employed necessary to locate the thread clamping and severing device with relation to the sewingpoint so that a relatively long thread end is provided quired' for the sewing operation upon each suc-,

cessive shoe. 7 l

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel and improved arrangement of the thread handling devices of the machine includ-- ing specifically the thread holding and severing device whereby the thread holding device is caused *to move relatively to; the stitch forming instrumentalitiesin' such a manner as to reduce to a minimum the possibility that the thread may he inadvertently pulledout of the clamp during the. formation of 'the initial stitch or stitches of the seam.

In accordance with the above noted and other objects. as may hereinafter appear; applicant provides a. thread severingandholding device which is mounte don' the thread finger and in a position closely adjacent the sewing point so that a short end only will he left standingabove the work at the start of a seam. In the illustrated embodiment oi the invention, the thread sever-- skilled in the art'from the following: description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in whichFig. l is a fragmentary detail view in left side elevation illustrating particularly the needle, looper, thread finger and thread cutting and holding unit, the parts being shown with the needle'thrcugh the work at thecompletion of the needle,threadingmovement of theloope'r, and with the thread fingerinitsfully extended rearward position engaging a night of thread; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the needle during its retracting movement and with the thread finger moved in a forward direction so that the bight of thread held thereby has been given up to the needle; Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in'front elevation illustrating substantially, theparts in Fig. 1, and in'the same position Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a detail plan view illustrating substantially the parts shown in Fig. 2, and in the same position; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail plan view looking. from beneath, illustrating particularly thethread finger and thread cutting and holding. unit. secured thereto.

The inseam shoe sewing machine illustrated in the drawing, is fully disclosed in the patent toaccordancewith a system of operation well-known 7 in the arty The curved hook needle l5, startin from: its fully retracted loop dra'wing position strikes: into the work from the welt side and emerges-from the channel formed; at the base of the-sewing ribot the insole. vancing movement. of th'eneedle the take-up i! completes its take-up movementto tighten the previously formed stitch about the shank of. the

During this ad feed, then forwardly and to the right to catch the thread in the clamp and to bring the portion of the thread adjacent the shoe over the edge of the knife 28 to sever the thread. The location of the thread holding and severing device is such as to permit the thread gripping and severing operation to be carried out by the operator with certainty and dispatch. The position of the device relative to the looper for the stop position of the parts is such that movement of the shoe leftwardly in the general direction of feed of the shoe, and upwardly as necessary to clear the shoefrom the stitch forming and work guiding mechanism, will cause the thread to find the jaws of the clamp without any necessity of visual inspection.

needle. and to draw.- oif new thread from the sup- 7 ply; Therthread finger. Mnow advances to form arbight in: that'iportion of the thread extending from the work; .Asthe needle approaches the limit-of its work-piercing movement-the looper moves to wrap. thread about the needle. Forthis positiontof ithe parts, which'is substantially that shown: in: Fig. 4; the. thread finger. I4 is. moving toward the front of thema'chine following the movement ofthe needle. The needlenow'starts its retracting movement to draw. the new loop ofit'hrea'd: through the Work; while the thread finger continues its. thread-giving: movement, moving forwardly: across; the. sewing. rib to supply slack thread: to; the' work" side: of the needl loop; 1

In accordance with' the present: invention a threadcutter and clamp'is provided which is supportedto'move as a unitwith the-thread-finger,- and is located in an entirely new position with respect; to the threadhandling devices to the left 'of and in close proximity to the sewing point. The thread holding. andsevering device of"ther preferred construction illustratedcomprises-a pairof'springz plates 29, 22, supporting plates: 24,. 26, andlawknife 28-.assembled in a. unit on a studLSfl screwthreaded into a lug 32 formed onhtherthreadrfingeri4: From an inspection of the drawing; it'willibeevidentthat the thread holdinggandwsevering .device is. located somewhat above; andtforwardly "of the. sewing point and withthejaw: openingof the-thread clamp extending leftwardlyin:.thedirection of feed of the shoes. In;.order to 1 grip andsever the thread upomthes-completion10f a& sewing operation, the operator moves;=the.- sh'oea away from the sewing instrumentalitiessleftwardly in .the: direction: of

The operation of the thread handling devices and the thread cutting and holding device associated therewith to support the thread end particularly during the formation of the initial stitchesof the. seam, willbebriefly describedas follows: Assumingthat themachine is in stop position with theneedle retracted andthe thread end extending from the looper i2, firmly; held in the thread clamp; the starting; of machine operation now causesrthe .needletoadvance through the work and'the take-upto complete its take-up movementrasabove setforth. ihe clamp is-of suiiicient strength to-prevent the thread from being pulled from between the-springplates 20 lay-the. action ofthe take-up acting. against a thread tension whichinay beof ordinary description and is nothere specifically shown.

Substantially as thetalze-up completes its takeup movement and while the needle is penetrating the-work, the thread finger l4 and the thread clamp supported thereon move rearwardly across thesewing rib. to. engage and form a bight in the thread extending from the. looper to. the clamp. The 'looper'now. acts to wrap aloop of thread around the. shank. of the still advancing needle l land the thread finger and; thread clampstart moving forwardly withtheneedle; as indicated bythearrowsin. Fig-4? Inasmuchas the thread finger l4 and the thread. clamp are. supported to move as. a wait there: is. no. tendency at this time 'for the thread 'toreavethrough the throatv ofthe end from the clamp. During the last portion. of

theneedle loop-drawing stroke howeveiga small amount of thread. may. be.drawn from the clamp, somewhat shortening the thread endheldtherein. As succeeding, stitches. are. formed and the shoe is advanced toward'the leftjthe distance between the point of entry of .the thread end into the work and. the clamp is substantially shortened, so. that the chance is stilliurther reduced thatthe thread will be prematurely pulled out of theflclamp- As. the shoe. continues. itsieeding movementto the left and-the. point of attachment of the thread to the shoe passes beyond the open jaws oi'the clamp,.the thread end'is drawn out of the clamp with a minimum of resistance and withoutany tendency to interfere with the feed ofatheshoe-or withlitsmanipulation by the operator.

The construction and arrangement of thread handling devices above described in which the thread clamping and severing device is supported to move as a unit with the thread finger, has been found particularly well adapted to insure the formation of tight, even stitches at the beginning of the seam While at the same time permitting of substantial savings in the amount of thread consumed during the performance of the sewing operation on successive shoes. The greater efficiency and certainty of operation of applicants improved device in which the motion of the thread finger is imparted to the thread clamping and severing device has made it unnecessary to provide the wasteful longer thread end as a margin of safety against the possible premature slipping of the thread end out of the clamp. The location of the clamping and severing unit on the thread finger has the further advantage that it permits of a more favorable location of the unit for the performance of thec1amping and cutting operation by the operator since the motion which it is required to impart to the shoe to catch the thread in the clamp is sub stantially that required to remove the shoe from the machine with only slight modification. The

location of the clamp close to the sewing point so 7 far increases the probability thatthethread will be engaged between the jaws of the clamp that unobstructed vision is no longer necessary to enable the operator to perform this operationin a satisfactory manner. i i 7 It will be understood that the invention is not limited to'the specific embodiment shown and that-various deviations may be made therefrom without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. What is claimed is:

1. An inseam chainstitch shoe sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices including a hooked needle arranged to strike into the work fromthe outside and to emerge from the insole, a looper, a thread fingerrnovable to supply slack thread to that side of the needle loop for severing the clamped portion of the thread from the work.

2. An inseam chainstitch shoe sewing machine 7 having, in combination, stitch forming devices inthe operator, and a knife blade for severing the tionally hold the thread passed therebetween by I the'operator, anda knife blade for severing the clamped portion of the threadfrom the work, said unit being located in close proximity to the sewing point and with the thread receiving surfaces extending from the thread finger generally in the direction of the completed stitches of the seam.

4. An inseam 'chainstitch shoesewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices including a curved hook needle arranged to strike into the Work from the outside and to emerge from the insole, a looper. threadfinger movable to supply slack thread to that side of the needle loopv extending from the work, and a thread clamping and cutting unit mounted on the thread finger in close proximity to the sewing point and jaws, and a knife blade for severing the clamped portion of the thread from the work.

' RAYMOND w. WA'r'rs. 

